Improvement in fruit-driers



J. ALLEN. Improvement in Fruit-Driers. N0. 128,521. y Patentedluly 2,1872.

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inventar:

PATENT OFFICE.

JUDSON ALLEN, OF EVERETT, MISSOURI.

IMPROVEMENT IN kl'`RlJlT-DRIERS.

Speciiication forming part of Letters Patent No. 128,521, dated July 2, i872.

Specification describin g a new and Improved Fruit-Drier, invented by JUDSON ALLEN, oi'

Everett, in the county of Cass and State of Missouri.

In this improved drier an air-chamber is arranged below the drying-chamber and above the heating-chamber, receiving cold air from the sides of the case, and delivering it through its perforated vertical side walls to the dryingchamber above containing the racks for holding the fruit, to prevent too much heat from radiating through the bottom plate. At each corner of the drier there is a hot-air conductor from the air-heating chamber, with one side wall made in sections, of which the alternate ones, which are opposite the spaces between the racks, are hinged at the upper ends, and connected to a shifting-rod or bar, so that they canali be moved together for opening or closing them, to turn the heat into the drier, or allow it to escape through the top. On the front of each conductor there are deilectingplates to cause an equal distribution of the heat in the drying-chamber.

Figure l is a sectional elevation of my improved drier, taken on the line x a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 2 is a section on the line y y of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of one of the conductors; and Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of Fig. 3.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A is the case for inclosing the fruit-holding racks B, and confining the heat. C is the heating-space .below the concave bottom D, and above the iire. E is an air-heating chamber between plates D and F, into which the air iiows through holes Gr, regulated by dampers, and from which it escapes into the drying-chamber above through the perforated side plates H. I represents the conductors, leading from the main air-heating chamber C up along the corners, and through the roof. The sides of these conductors, fronting the racks B, have valves or dampers K between the said racks, pivoted at the upper end, as shown at L, and connected by cranks M to rods L, for actuating all the dampers of one conductor simultaneously, for opening and closing them. These dampers swing back into the conductors to turn the hot air into the drier in opening, and in closingthe'y allow it to escape through the rcof. The dampers are so connected to the rod that when the lower end of the upper one comes against the back of the conductor there will bel a slight space between the lower end of the next one below, and the said back wall, and so with all the others, the said space increasing in breadth with each lower one, to allow the heat to be divided between the passages; and there is an auxiliary damper, 0, in connection with the upper damper K, to wholly close the escape at the top, when it is not desirable to open dampers K very wide. The damper does not entirely close when dampers K are shut, as will be clearly seen by inspection of Figs. 3 and 4. These dampers are adjusted to let the heat escape at the top when it is too great to be let into the drier. Q represents the deilecting-plates, attached to the sides of the conductors, through which the hot currents p ass to the drying-chamber, to divide and distribute them for equalizing the heat in the said drying-chamber. They are so arranged relatively to said conductors that one-half the heat-currents is discharged along the side wall of th'e inclosing-case, and the other is directed toward the center.

rlhe fruit-holdin g racks are perforated to let the heat pass up through them, and they slide in through the side walls alternately from opposite sides, but they do not extend wholly across the chamber, so that there is behind each a vertical space for the main portion of the heat to pass up from below, causing it to pass forward and back over and under the racks. I

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with heating chamber C having 'concave dome D, and the fruitdrying chamber having bottom F, of the intermediate air-heating chamber E, provided with holes G, and dampers, as andffor the purpose described.

' 2. The combination of the deeeting-plates Q with the heat-conductors,` substantially as specified.

3. The combination of the auxiliary dampers 0 with the uppermost dampers K, substane tially as specified.

` JUDSON ALLEN'. Witnesses:

H. C. MosEs, EDWARD H. WILSON. 

